Tube frame for axminster looms



Dec. 3l, 1929. E. E. CLARK TUBE FRAME FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Filed June 8. 1928 um .mw mm a. Nm

Wil

ANN

Patented Dec. 31', 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE EVERETT E. CLARK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON 8s KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION F MASSACHUSETTS Application filed .Tune 8,

This invention relates to improvements in tube frames and means for supporting them in AXminster looms and it is` the general object of the` invention to provide improved means for detacliably locking tube frames to the transporting chains common in the type of loom referred to.

1n prior patent to Paine No. 1,493,561 there is shown a transporting chain having a plurality of ngers to cooperate with plungers in tube frames. In that patent there is shown a plunger which has direct engagement with the releasing lug carried by the loom clutch. It is found that provision must be made for moving the plunger entirely clear of the finger to prevent sticking of the tube frame in a raised position. It is an important obj ectk of my present invention to make the plunger so that it will present two spaced portions, one portion to have direct engagement with the supporting chain finger, and the other portion to be engaged by a releasing device which may be formed on the loom clutch. In this way the releasing operation is independent of the fingers and the plunger or sliding element can be moved a sufficient distance without reference to the design of the-finger or the thickness thereof.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide each finger with a substantially closed eye to receive one portion of a sliding and locking plunger another portion of which moves in a path which does not traverse the outline of the finger, thus permitting the finger to be stronger than has been possible in constructions heretofore proposed. n

It is a more particular object of my present invention to have the Axminster loom clutch formed with releasing devices located to be out of alignment with the chain fingers during the releasing operation, the releasing portions to cooperate with a portion of the sliding element which does not `nave supporting engagement with the finer. g With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description pro- Serial No. 283,927.

ceeds, my invention relates to the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in the claims.

n the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portion of an Axminster loom provided with my present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the tube frame and chain supporting finger in normal interlocking engagement,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2 but with the tube frame disconnected from the chain finger, a condition which exists during the tuft forming operation of the loom, v

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a chain pullover shaft having keyed thereto a sprocket 11. A transporting chain 12 has single links 13 and double links 14 which cooperate with the sprocket 11. As shown herein each double link 14 is provided with a finger 15 and it will be understood that there are two chains, one at each end of the loom and that the iingers are in pairs, one member of each pair being located at each end of the loom. rfhere is a tube frame 16 for each pair of fingers andsaid tube frame may support a spool 17 and a row ofyarn tuf't tubes 18 and may if desired be formed as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of rectangular hollow bars 19. The spool 17 is supported by a spool bearing 20 the lower arm of which extends as at 21 into the bar 19 and is secured therein by screws 22.

The fingers 15 are each designed as shown in Fig. 2 to extend between the lower upright portion of the spool bearing 20 and a wall 23 formed on a guide member 24 shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Said guide member has parallel walls 25 which are held to the bar 19 by screws 26 and said guide is further provided with an inner vertical wall 27. The wall 23 is spaced from the bearing 20, a distance slightly more than the thickness of the lower end of the linger 15 to afford operating clearance.

The clutch 28 has a stud 29 which is received by a transferrer arm 30, there being one of these arms ateach side 'of the loom. By means of a rod 31 which is connected to a second stud 32 in the upper end of the clutch the latter may be oscillated around the stud 29 as a center. Said clutch has a lower lip 33 which extends under the tube frame to support the latter when disconnected from the transporting chain.

The matter thus far described is either construction common to Axminster looms or substantially the same as that set forth in the aforesaid patent to Paine, and forms no part of my present invention.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide the lower end of each linger 15 with a closed eye as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4, and as shown in Fig. 2 I extend into the eye the upper arm 41 of a sliding lock member 42. The lower part of said locking member may be reduced and have an arm 43 which extends substantially parallel to the arm 41. The sliding locking member is guided in the wall 27 and also extends through the lower vertical portion of thespool bearing 20. For the sake of reinforcement I may employ an inverted L-shaped member 44 which is secured by means of screws 45 to the tubular bar 19 and this member' 44 may have a depending section 46 to serve as a further guide for the sliding member 42.

T he wall 23 is provided with an opening 47 which may be in alignment with and somewhat larger than the diameter of the lower arm 43 of the sliding member. The clutch is provided with a releasing element 50 which may be held in adjusted longitudinal position relatively tothe tube frame by screw 51 in the clutch 28. Said element 50 is located to extend through the opening 47 and to have engagement with the arm 43.

Each of the parallel arms of the sliding member may be surrounded by a compression spring,. the upper arm 41 having disposed therearound a relatively large compression spring 52, while the lower arm 43 may be associated with a smaller compression spring Pins 54 engage the right hand end of the springs as shown in Fig. 2 while the left hand end of said springs push against the walls 27. As shown in Fig. 2 the wall 23 engages the upper arm 41 and acts as a stop to limit the action of the compression springs when the parts are in normal position.

In operation, the pullover' shaft 10 is given periodic angular movements so that the Several tube frames are advanced one at a time to tuft for-ming position preparatoryto removalby the transferrer arms from the chain toward the cloth. The action at both sides of the loom will be the sameand a description of the operation of the right hand side will suffice for both. When a tube frame arrives in the lowest position shown in Fig. 1 th-e clutch 28 will be vmoved inwardly so that the supporting lip 33 will support the tube frame. As the clutch moves inwardly the releasing element 50 thereof will pass through the opening 47 ofthe wall 23 under the finger 15, engaging the lower arm 43 and moving .the sliding member 42v inwardly against the action of the compression springs 52 and 53. The effect of this movement on the member 42 is to move the upper holding arm 41 fromthe position. shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, where said arm 41 will be seen to be completely disengaged from the linger 15. The clutches and tube Vframe are now ready to move toward the cloth and after the row of tufts have been inserted into the fabric the tube frame and clutches will be moved upwardly again until the arm 41 is in alignment with the closed eye 40. The clutch will then move away from the tube framel and the compression springs will move the sliding member outwardly to restore the interlocking connection between the arm 41 and the finger 15.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means whereby the interlocking plunger may be moved out of holding engagement with the finger on the chain by mechanism which operates independently of the shape of the finger. This is due to the fact that the sliding member 42 is so formed as to afford contact with a releasing member which is in addition to and separate from the arm which hasdirect engagement with the chain linger. It will also be seen that because of the fact that the arm which engages the chain linger does not cooperate with the releasing element, the eye in the linger may be closed to strengthen the finger. It will further be seen that the releasing ele.- ment 50 is adjustable relatively to the clutch so that the extent of movement of the arm 41 relatively to the finger 15 may be varied.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame, an attaching member permanently secured to the chain and extending therefrom, a yielding locking means carried by the tube frame to engage the attaching member on the chain, and additional means out of alignment with the attaching` member and outside the periphery of the attaching member and moving with the locking means to be engaged for the purpose of `Inovlli ing the locking means to unlocking position relatively to the attaching member.

2. In an Axminster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame, an attaching mehr ber permanently secured to the chain and eX- tending therefrom, a yielding locking means carried by the tube frame to engage the attaching member on the chain, and additional means moving with the locking means to be engaged for the purpose of moving the locking means to unlocking position relatively to the attaching` member, said additional means moving in a path which lies to one side of and outside the periphery of the attaching t member.

3. In an Axminster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame, an attaching member permanently secured to the chain and extending therefrom, a tube frame engaging clutch, a lock supported by the tube frame and movable into locking engagement with the attaching member, an element outside the periphery of the attaching member and movable with the lock but independent of and spaced from the attaching member. and means on the clutch to engage the element to move said loch out of engaging position relatively to the attaching member.

4. In an AXminster loom, a transporting chain, a `yarn tube frameJ an attaching member permanently secured to the chain and eX- tending therefrom, a sliding member mounted on a tube frame and having two arms, one of said arms to have holding engagement with the attaching member and the other arm being spaced from the first named arm and lying outside the periphery of the attaching member and presenting a surface by means of which said sliding member may be moved to disengage the first named arm from the at` taching member.

5. In an Axlninster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame, an attaching member permanently secured to the chain and eX- tending therefrom, a tube frame supporting clutch to be moved toward the tube frame, a two armed sliding locking member mounted on the tube frame, one of the arms to cooperate with the attaching member to connect the tube frame to the transporting chain and the other arm spaced from and outside the periphery of the attaching member to have engagement with the clutch as the latter moves toward the tube frame to disengage the first named arm from the attaching member.

6. In an Axminster loom, a transporting outside the periphery of the attaching member and being engaged by the clutch to be moved by the latter to cause disengagement of the first portion relatively to the attached member, whereby the tube frame may be released from the transporting chain.

7 In an Axminster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame having a hollow bar, an attaching member permanently secured to the chain and extending therefrom, the attaching member having a closed eye, an element carried by the tube frame to enter the eye to support the tube frame, and means out of alignment with the eye movable toward the element and effective to move said element out of the eye to release the tube frame from the transporting chain, said element and means being located within the hollow bar.

8. A tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain provided with a tube frame supporting member provided with a closed eye, said tube frame having a hollow bar in which is located an element having two portions spaced with respect t0 each other transversely of the tube frame, one of said portions to enter the closed eye and the other portion presenting a releasing means by which the first portion may be moved out of the closed eye.

9. In an Axminster loom, a transporting chain, a yarn tube frame, rigid attaching members permanently secured to the chain and extending therefrom, means rdefining a pair of spaced walls on the tube frame, a locking element movably mounted on the tube frame to extend through one wall and have holding engagement with the attaching member and to be engaged by the other wall to limit movement of said element in one direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EVERETT E. CLARK.

chain, a yarn tube frame, an attaching memf ber permanently secured to the chain and extending therefrom, a tube frame engaging clutch movable toward the tube frame, and a movable member mounted on the tube frame and having two portions movable together, one of said portions to engage the attaching member on the tube frame to support the tube frame and the other portion lying 

